Hosted By
WELCOME
Welcome to the 2012 Washington State Elementary Chess Championship, hosted by “Washington Elementary Chess Champions” a non-profit corp. We hope you enjoy your time at this tournament in the Tri-Cities this year.
Over nine years ago, we created this non-profit corporation to host the 2003 Washington State Elementary Chess Championship (WSECC), and the following year assisted in laying the ground work to formalize guidelines for bidding 2 years in advance on future tournaments and creating a WSECC board. In 2006 we hosted another WSECC tournament.
Our corporation’s goals under article 3 of our articles of incorporation are:
3.1To promote the education of children in home, school, community, and place of worship, via teaching and promoting analytical thinking skills obtained by learning and playing chess.
3.2To promote a desire in children, “to learn to play chess well”, by providing opportunities to participate in chess tournaments.
3.3To bring opportunities to children to learn chess in their local schools by supporting the creation of Kindergarten through 6th grade chess clubs, and providing aid to volunteers to help them create or expand chess clubs at their local schools.
We have been somewhat successful in accomplishing these goals by distributing the chess sets used in the state tournaments in our local elementary schools, and providing some grants for stipends to school districts employees to organize and support local school chess clubs. In addition we have supported at least 6 local tournaments/year for a few years now, and this is the third time we have put on the State tournament. We also run a “Summer Chess Nights” program with our local libraries. We receive some donations and volunteer support from our local community and our biggest fund raiser is the State Tournament. We would not be able to break even if it were not for the great volunteer support we receive from our friends in our community.
So I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for supporting our efforts to help our community's children improve their analytical thinking skills through learning and playing the game of chess.
Sincerely
David M. Merrill
David M. Merrill
President
Washington Elementary Chess Champions
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
TRAC, 6600 Burden Blvd, Pasco, WA99301
Friday 04/20/12(Outside food OK in TRAC today only)
9amOrganizer walk through of TRAC facility to assure all is in the correct place
9:45Equipment arrives at back door and Vendors may start setting up tables
10amVolunteers arrive and equipment is unloaded onto rolling carts
10:15Set up chess boardsand sets, pens, score sheets, and tape tents to tables
1pmSet up computer equipment and printers
2pmTrain runners and put up preliminary pairings charts
2:45Set up trophies behind screens to be handed out at end of round 5
3pmon site CHECK INor telephone (509-542-5936)begins in room 2
(Man the phone lines and )
(Team tables available for outside food)
3:15Vendors open for business (T-shirts / Sponsor’s booths / Bid presentations)
5-6pmRoom 4 sign up and check in for Bug House tournament
6pmRoom 4 Bug House tournament by Elliott Neff
8:00e-mail and telephone check in closes
8:30On site CHECK IN closes
Saturday 04/21/12 (No outside food allowed in TRAC)
7amParking Volunteers arrive
7:15Sick call drops may call, (509-542-5936)
7:30TRAC doors open (donuts, coffee, hot chocolate, etc. available from vendors)
8amJudges meeting in room 2 volunteer lounge (Final pairings are prepared)
8:20Tournament Director introduced in team tables room, and presents rules
8:45Players are seated, and judges look for missing players (Kindergarten in room 4)
9amRound 1 starts
10:20Round 2 starts (K tournament advances even if main tournament delayed)
11amLunch vendors available for lunch for at least 2.5 hours (volunteer lunch room 2)
11:40Round 3 starts (Judges going to coaches’ meeting are excused after 20 minutes)
NoonCoaches’ Meeting in TRAC Pavilion (1 hour long, everyone out by 2pm)
1pmStart collecting voting ballots at the information booth
1:30Round 4 starts
2:30Round 5 starts for Kindergarten only (Trophies presented to K only at conclusion)
2:50Round 5 starts (As WSECC players record their score at the score keepers table they receive their trophy. 4.5 and 5.0 may receive trophy or wait for ceremony).
3:30Room 4 Kindergarten relatives invited in to witness Trophies presented to K only
4:00I Love Chess Too trophies handed out in the Team Table Room ARENA by the Vendors for trophies.
4:10WSECC Individual Recognition Awards Ceremony for 4.5and 5.0 players
(You may have it presented to you, or if you already got it bring the trophy you received at end of round 5)
4:20Team Awards Ceremony for the top 25 teams in the 1-3 section and 25 teams in the 4-6 sections will be presented.
5:00You may wish to visit with the vendors and your neighbors, or talk with members of the Washington State Elementary Chess Championship board or go back to your hotel, or help pack up chess equipment, or go to a nearby restaurant for dinner, or catch a matinée movie across the street.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Check-in(one of 3 ways, in person, e-mail, or by phone)
Coaches or parents must check in their players on Friday, April 20th. On-line check-in will be available starting Thursday noon until Friday8 pm through e-mail to . Subject line should include "Check In" and tournament (i.e. WSECC or ILCT). On-site check-in will be available on April 20th from 3pm until 8:30 pm. Phone check in from 3pm to 8pm call 509-542-5936. Sick call is Saturday morning between 7:15 and 8am. Players that have not checked in on Friday will not play in the tournament on Saturday, April 21st. Preliminary pairings will be posted on line Friday night. Join the WSECC group on Ivytalk to get updates on pairings by sending SMS text “Hi” to (425) 577-6848.
Awards
All participants will receive a medal with a color coded ribbon to be worn in the tournament (and take home). Trophies will be awarded to the WSECC sections 1-6 with scores of 3.0 to 4.0 as they record their score for round 5. Kindergarteners will have a ceremony in room 4 at 3:30pm. I Love Chess Too will get odd left over trophies for at least the top 3 finishers in each section at a briefawards ceremony at 4pmnear the vendor booths. WSECC sections 1-6 with 4.5 an 5.0 will next receive their awards at the same awards stand prior to the "Team Trophy Awards" ceremony. Trophies will indicate score rather than place, and all places will be determined using the traditional Washington scholastic tiebreaks, and will be reported by Kirk Winges on the state ratings site. Team trophies will be based on the top four players for a team from grades 1-3 and 4-6.
Lost and Found
Lost items may be turned in at the information desk. This includes lost score cards, medals, and trophies. If you lose something please fill out a yellow sticky note with your cell phone number and description of the item and give it to the information desk. They will call you when it is found.
GENERAL INFORMATION
(Continued)
Food Service Information
Concession site vendors will supply all food except volunteer lunches which are catered and complements of WECC. No outside food is allowed in the facility unless authorized in advance for dietary considerations. You may go off site to eat lunch, but please do not bring food into the building.
Information Desk
Information desk will be staffed all day and will have volunteers available to receive lost items, and accept yellow sticky notes concerning items lost. They will have maps to help you find a location, and can direct urgent needs to facilities personnel.
Coaches’ Meeting
Coaches’ meeting will be held in the Coaches Meeting room (see map) at noon until 1pm. Please take time to review the bids or talk to the bidders at the WSECC complementary booth at the north end of the vendor booths.
M = Men’s rest room
W = Women’s rest room
2 = Check In room Friday;
2 = Volunteer Lounge Saturday
3 = Pairing room; NE door is Information Booth
4 = Kindergarten Section (use North Entrance)
Team Tables
Coming soon
TOURNAMENT RULES
Conduct of Players, Parents, and Coaches
Everyone involved with the tournament is expected to conduct themselves with good sportsmanship.
Rules
Scholastic rules based on standard USCF rules (last year’s edition) will be enforced, with the exceptions noted in our "TD Philosophy of Non-Interference", which is posted on our website and will be reviewed by the judges prior to round 1. Our very experienced tournament director Loren Schmidt will clarify rules that are specific to the state tournament, during the rules presentation.
Format
The tournament will be a five round Swiss format. Grade level divisions will be used in accord with current WSECC rules.
Recording Moves
While not required to record their moves, players are encouraged to do so to provide a record of the game and to allow certain claims under the rules of chess. Players may wish to cease recording moves when either player has less than five minutes on the clock. If a score sheet is available the judges will initial the results of the game on the players score sheet, even if it is empty. Score sheets and a pen will be provided to all players at the beginning of round 1, but will not be replaced if lost, nor will they be required to play. However a claim of an incorrect score may not be made without one.
Reporting Results
When players finish a game and agree on the result, they should raise their hands and wait for a judge to come to their board. The judge will initial the score agreed on by both players on the tournaments official record sheet provided by the players (if they still have one). The judge will also record the result on a sheet which he keeps as a back up record. The players then set up all thepieces on their board and quietly go together to the score keepers table and record the score.
If there is any question by the score keeper the official record sheet will be reviewed if it exists, or if not, or the record is still ambiguous, the judges record will be reviewed.
TOURNAMENT RULES
(Continued)
Clocks and Time Controls
The time control will be Game/30 (maximum one hour for each game) or Game/25 with 5-second time delay. Our preference is Game 30 without time delay, as it more closely sets the full game time to no more than 60 minutes. We realize new USCF rules were made last week about clocks, so we are using last year’s rules, as more people are familiar with them, and this is not a USCF rated tournament.
In the K to 3 sections, at least one player must provide a clock and both players must agree to it, to use a clock from the beginning. In the 4 up sections a player may bring a clock and use it. If both players have clocks, and a clock is to be used from the beginning, the person playing black chooses which clock is to be used. If a clock is too large, a judge may require they use the smaller clock.
Most players will play without clocks, and after 40 minutes a clock will be brought to the remaining players with 10 minutes each. Since there may be many players and it takes time to distribute the clocks, the clocks may be brought as early as 36 minutes into the game at the discretion of the judges, to avoid rounds greater than 60 minutes.
Drawn Positions
When a clearly drawn position, such as K+R vs. K+R, is reached, either player may stop the clock and request that a judge rule a draw. If the judge rules a draw, the game is over. If the judge does not rule a draw, the game will continue, unless both players agree to a draw. Frivolous requests are poor sportsmanship and will be handled accordingly.
Late Arrival
A player who is more than ten minutes late for a round will lose by forfeit. The player will also be dropped from the tournament unless the pairings directors are informed that the player wishes to continue.
TOURNAMENT RULES
(Continued)
Questions, Problems, and Appeals
Players with concerns during a round should raise their hand and call a judge. If you feel the judge has ruled incorrectly, you should ask for an appeal before continuing play. On appeal a second judge will review the ruling of the first and see whether a resolution is possible. If not the tournament director will be called. Any issues with the results of a round must be reported immediately. Concerned parents should alert their team’s coach of the situation, and the team coach should approach a floor judge or the tournament director to resolve the problem.
Penalties for Rules Violations
Penalties for rules violations are at the discretion of the tournament director and may vary from warnings and time penalties to forfeiture and expulsion from the tournament.
State Tournament FAQ’s
- Check-in-What, Where, Why, How? Everyone who signed up is making their best effort to be there on time for round 1…but with hundreds of participants, things happen and notifying the tournament is not the first thing you think of in a crisis. We would prefer Friday check in but will open email check in at 12 noon PDT Thursday. Choose one of three methods to check in:
- Email to 12 noon Thurs to 8 PM Fri; put “Check In” and Tournament “WSECC” or “ILCT” in subject then list player, and section in the body (player/grade list in body)
- Telephone (voice) from 3-8:30 PM Friday at (509) 542-5936
- In person at the TRAC facility 3-8:30 PM Friday
- Parking- Parking is free and we ask you follow the traffic directors on the day of the tournament. If you are late, do not try to drive to the front and drop off your player, it will make things slower and more hazardous for the people walking through the parking lot. The south lot is for volunteers only. Please only park at the Holiday Inn if you are staying there. If Burden Blvd. gets backed up trying to go left to I-182 after the tournament, turn right on Road 68 (away from the highway), then left on Sandifur to Broadmoor, and get on the highway there. If you go to the west entrance on Road 68, you can only turn right (away from the highway), and probably also go up to Sandifur.
- Friday Night Bughouse-Begins Friday 6 PM. Details at
- Wi-Fi- Free, and should have coverage throughout the facility, but please do not stream video.
- Food - No outside food permitted, TRAC promises there will be available snacks, hot chocolate and coffee for sale besides lunch and that they will serve fast enough to keep lines down. There are several eateries in walking distance or a short drive away. Some do not appear on Google Maps.
- Pairings-Pairing lists and results will be posted in several locations. Join the WSECC group on Ivytalk to get updates on pairings by sending SMS text “Hi” to (425) 577-6848. During the tournament the pairing staff will post information to
- Clocks- Typical tournament rules apply; players with clocks may use their own at G/30 or G/25 with 5 second delay. Grade K-3 opponents need to concur but grades 4-6 opponents may not refuse to start with a clock. If both players have a clock and prefer to use their own, Black gets to choose. TD’s will bring out clocks set at G/10 (no delay) for other games in progress 40 minutes after start of round (they may start distributing at 36 minutes after start if many are needed).
- When should I arrive? We would like people to get parked and arrive around 8 AM. Volunteer orientation will start then and we need all players seated for announcements at 8:20 in the team table room and at 8:45 in the tournament room for parents to clear the hall for a 9 AM round 1 start.
- Schedule? All sections scheduled start times are 9, 10:20, 11:40, 1:30, and 2:50. There is intentionally a longer round 3 to allow for lunch and the coaches’ meeting. Kindergarten is in a separate room and will follow the schedule even if the others are delayed.